Building a BRICS Identity

The BRICS is a complex phenomenon, marked by its internal heterogeneity. However, there is a collective identity that defines and influences the identities and interests of its members. The article analyzes this identity construction from the five original members, based on Wendt’s (1999) four types of identity, as well as political, social, and economic data and its summit declarations. It concludes that the collective identity of the BRICS contributes to overcoming differences between members without imposing constraints on independent actions, even though these influence the consolidation of a collective identity and are influenced by it.